Classes & Workshops

Damon teaches hither and yon. If you're a genre fiction pro
interested in checking out some of his presentations, you might
consider attending one of the scheduled classes or seeing if he can present to your local writing group.

Class descriptions:

Damon will happily opine about most things,
and he's been teaching for a bunch of years on a wacky variety
of topics. All of his classes provide substantive handouts and
most of them include non-sucky powerpoint presentations to help
cover complex material.

Some of the genre-writing subjects he's talked
about during conventions, seminars, and gatherings past include: (click on titlesfor
class-specific subpages where available)

CHARACTER: Giving your story a cast
that dazzles. Fresh character-building techniques that go beyond
trivia, backstory, and stereotypes
that’ll flesh out an entire book. Archetypes, tropes, and
functions of genre characters; casting your story with
unforgettable personalities. Character as the simplest way
to plot your story and identify your hook.

PLOT: A
plotting class even pantsers love… Even when a happy ending
is certain, a great plot keeps your writing fresh while
amplifying your voice. Learn how to craft a sure-fire
structure and launch your story. We’ll go beyond the bullet
points. Rather hammering one “true” blueprint, we’ll break
down major story models from Aristotle to Netflix, identify
their seven shared points, and help you develop your own
narrative strategy.

INTIMACY:
making love scenes memorable, use of slang, rhythm and
logic, working out the mechanics of intercourse form sweet
to raunchy,
keeping sex in character, balancing kink and vanilla,
gauging and manipulating heat levels for meet (and master)
expectations.

BRANDING: the cornerstone of any promo
and marketing plans. identifying, honing, and crafting
an author brand and platform that gets the job done… wielding your brand effectively
to build a career for long range goals.

PRESENCE/PLATFORM: embodying your brand in a
public setting, online and in person. Developing a coherent
marketing platform and strategizing public appearances to
cultivate your unique audience. Navigating the professional
arena and building your A-gang.

SCENE & SEQUEL: Explaining and
exploring Dwight Swain's analysis of popular fiction.
Whether you call it “scene and sequel” or “action and
reaction,” this basic storytelling pattern allows you to
pace your plot, escalate your action, and find your story’s
heat and tone. These old-school genre tools let you manage
any story’s natural flow for a book readers can't put down.

PITCHING & HOOKS: the importance of a
‘free prize’ in every book, using a high concept premise to
anchor a project before and during the writing
process, subgenre and trope-specific keywords, boiling a project into a
tagline/logline/blurb that closes the
sale. Attendees will leave with the range of promo copy they
need to sell their book.

COMEDY: the mechanics of humor,
comedy archetypes, and comic plotting...along with a bag of
tricks for adding levity and sparkle to any scene by unlocking
the power of laughter. Using wit, schtick, and tricksters to
deepen subtext and
raise stakes
within your story.

TROPES: Uses and abuses of form and formula
in genre stories. Narrative patterns and recurring structures
specific to certain subgenres. Trope history and evolution.
Navigating the border between cliché and archetype.

WORLDBUILDING: for fantasy, paranormal, sci-fi
and
contemporary all books deserve a fully-fleshed world,
prioritizing details for single title and series; language, laws, and
meaningful specifics that make stories feel real.

POWERS & TOOLS: Hocus pocus with focus...and
science that can stand scrutiny. Adapting or inventing occult
traditions and/or technology that drive a narrative and support
character development. (cf degree in Religion/Philosophy and 20
years lecturing on magick, tech, and mythology).

Invitations:

Would you like Damon to present to your
group, chapter or an upcoming genre event? He has class options
out the hoo-hoo and his NYC location keeps travel costs surprisingly
inexpensive. Drop him a line
with the relevant details and he'll do whatever he can to get
his behonkus there.